<p>I would have to agree that interviews done by adcoms have the potential to carry more weight than by alums. The colleges really have no quality control with regards to alum interviews, plus there are a ton of different alums doing them all over the country. </p>
<p>I believe the Hospitality and Architecture program interviews also take place on Cornell’s campus…not as alum interviews.</p>
<p>I can also vouch for having been told by admissions personnel (at a session for potential applicants) that alumni interviews do not count for much. We approached the admission reps afterwards and were told that the form we fill out goes in the folder, but at the very back, and is mostly just used to support the impression the rest of the application (test scores, grades, essays, recs) has already given. The rep did say that if the interviewer’s write-up was completely opposite of said impression, the university may contact the HS for further info—but only if it was a candidate with a good chance of admission.</p>
<p>Personal story: H and I started interviewing together right after graduation as a way to “give back” since we had no money. We had a terrible experience where we interviewed a young man in our home; he refused to shake my hand or look me in the face. He would only respond to questions/comments made by my husband. He spoke of volunteering in a soup kitchen because it looked good on his application, and how he thought the people he served there were funny (as in, he laughed at them). </p>
<p>I don’t know if what was going on with him was religious or cultural or if he was just a jerk. We certainly told the university all of this, and how we had great concerns about his ability to fit into the college environment—what, was he just going to somehow avoid dealing with all women? When we found out a few months later that he had been accepted, we were so disillusioned we stopped interviewing. We have only started up again in the last few years, but this time it is with full knowledge of the process and our part in it.</p>
<p>bearpanther, your story is interesting to me, because I have often thought that interviews don’t have much effect, unless they are really, really bad. I guess they may not have much effect, even then–perhaps that kid had something that the school really wanted (like ultra-rich parents, maybe).</p>
<p>I agree with some others that colleges aren’t likely to pay too much attention to alumni interviews, because they are so hard to compare. But some schools say they do pay attention, so it doesn’t pay for applicants to ignore them.</p>
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I interviewed for my school for 5 years and don’t think my reports had much affect at all. In all that time there were only two instances where I tried to swing an obvious outcome from stats. 1) A candidate who SATs were too low, with a very good GPA, and was an amazing candidate … she did not get in … 2) A guy with amazing stats and ECs who was one of the most arrogant people and biggest jerks I have ever met … he got it. No, I don’t think my input mattered much at all.</p>
<p>Regardless of whether interviews count heavily or not, that has zero to do with the topic - whether Ivies are such magical places that no one could possibly dislike any aspect of them or regret going there / sending a kid there, which is just stupid, because anyone can dislike anything. </p>
<p>But if you send your kid to an Ivy and it doesn’t pan out, that’s not a condemnation of “Ivies” either. It’s just that not everyone is going to like everything, and there’s not much more to be drawn from it than that.</p>
<p>When this guy was accepted, all we could think was 1) he must be crazy smart or accomplished in some area the uni wanted or 2) $$$$$$ parents.</p>
<p>One thing that also occurred to us, considering our horrendous interview report and the fact that he was deemed worthy anyway----intentional interview sabotage. These same admission reps also told us that every year, they get phone calls/emails from kids who ask for their applications to be rejected (as ridiculous as that might sound). Some kids are pressured by parents to apply to certain schools whether the kid likes it or not. These students know they are not a fit, would rather go somewhere else, and can’t formally withdraw an app without parents finding out or getting angry. </p>
<p>So maybe this kid was putting on an act? Especially if the uni did contact his HS after our report and found his behavior perhaps out of character? Of course, if this is the case his plan backfired!</p>
<p>Pitzer requires ED applicants to interview. I like that touch for ED, but it probably only works for small schools. </p>
<p>I always thought alum interviews were a way to help sell the school. That can backfire. D1 had such a horrible alum interview for Rice that she refused to apply.</p>
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<p>I wonder how much of that is due to the fact many/most alums refuse to participate precisely because the alum interview carries absolutely no weight and thus, feel it’s a waste of time better put towards more meaningful volunteer activities? </p>
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<p>This sounds very similar to a HS friend’s account of an interview she conducted for her Ivy alma mater. Issues weren’t that bad on gender discrimination, but she recalled the applicant had quite an arrogant entitled attitude as exhibited by his cynically admitting quite openly that he padded his ECs for college apps, cut corners on studying/learning which illustrated he wasn’t really interested in learning, constantly bragged about his stats and high SES background, made derogatory remarks about intellects of URMs, etc. </p>
<p>She was happy to receive word back from her alma mater’s admissions office that his application was rejected and her extremely negative report on the applicant was a factor. While she enjoys selling her school to applicants, she also wants to do her part to screen out candidates who exhibit blatant negative red flags for her college.</p>
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<p>Wow, your “HS friend” sure provided you with a heck of a lot of detail about an interview. A good friend of mine actually runs interviewing for our shared alma mater in the Long Island area and has done hundreds of interviews over the years, but amazingly, has never shared that level of detail about any interview, and indeed hasn’t shared any level of detail other than how she really enjoys meeting and getting to know all the great kids out there. And anyway, no one is really THAT stupid to make derogatory remarks about the intellects of black people, etc. in a college interview, so it sounds like another made-up story here.</p>
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<p>You might be surprised.</p>
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<p>Worse, more people…including a surprising number of college students have no compunctions about openly making derogatory remarks about URMs…including AAs.</p>
<p>I think interviews were brought up in connection with the idea that selective schools might do a good job of selecting students who will like those schools and thrive there. I think they probably do–and they are mostly selecting students who are likely to thrive just about anywhere.</p>
<p>I asked my son if he had any regrets about attending Yale, and he said he didn’t. I asked him what was good about it, and he said the people–but he went on to say that it was also the money available to support everything. For example, he had access to a really top-notch recording studio.</p>
<p>Cobrat, I was going to respond to your apocalyptic discrimination post (#111), but that would be dragging this conversation way off topic….so I’ll simply respond with…</p>
<p>“Water, a symbol of life!”</p>
<p>Well played, Gator.</p>
<p>Is there a LIKE button for post 105?</p>
<p>One year I interviewed a young woman a day or two after early decision/early action results came out.</p>
<p>Here is what was actually said:</p>
<p>jonri: What kind of college are you looking for?
Interviewee: MIT!!!</p>
<p>This was followed by a rant lasting about 3 minutes about how devastated she was by being deferred by MIT, how it was the ONLY college she could picture herself at, etc. At the end of this rant she asked " Do you have any suggestions for how I can turn my deferral into an acceptance?"</p>
<p>Hint: I wasn’t interviewing her for MIT. </p>
<p>It was hard not to laugh…I managed not to, as she really was a nice kid who was just very upset, but it wasn’t the best way for her to approach an interview with a different college!</p>
<p>I just wanted to explain that sometimes kids just blurt out things they shouldn’t say in interviews.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I am not surprised by these interview stories. I see it in the real world where people should have more sense. I can definitely believe these stories in young adults who have yet to mature.</p>
<p>For the expense of an Ivy education, especially for those who don’t meet financial need, I sure hope there are few regrets.</p>
<p>Lots of schools cost the same as Ivies. Some are highly selective and the same caliber; others aren’t. I would hope anyone spending that kind of change has few regrets. But, some always will. That’s kind of life, I think. Until crystal balls are invented.</p>
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<p>Every time I’ve ever thought this in my life, I have eventually discovered a counterfactual.</p>
<p>Unhappy at Cornell…left as 17 yo freshman…returned as a junior…hated it just as much second time around. It’s all about fit and until you try it, its anyone’s guess on the outcome. Everyone is different. Loved my public state school and did very well. Not ever school is for everyone. Not putting Cornell down, but that environment was too stressful and competitive for mevto feel at home there. I was so unhappy I went to Ezra Cornell’s home on weekends and then left Cornell for good. He was a family friend. No crystal ball for any parent.</p>